Is Camera Happiness a Moving Target?

In the pre-www days, we relied on magazines and newspapers to provide us with news about upcoming or current gear. The month between each burst of information greatly lengthened the stimulus-desire process. But with the internet, this cycle time is near instantaneous and within minutes or hours of new information being released.

As I've written earlier, the internet has made multiple camera ownership and serial buying the norm. In the old days, a shooter could use a Leica M3 or M6 and a couple of lenses for decades, and never want for anything else. You bought a 'family camera', which was used on holidays and special occasions, and it was often handed down in the family. Hardly anyone had multiple cameras unless they were photographers or rabid enthusiasts.

Rapid advances in technology have made ten years a huge time in the camera world - even three years shows a big jump in capabilities. Only a few years ago, I marveled at the people who had more than two cameras, or a big full frame Canon. Now I have literally dozens of cameras and lenses and think it's 'normal' to have that many.

In about 2005-6, I thought that my ideal camera would be as small as the Canon Powershot S70 and have the image quality of a DSLR. About seven years later, and I use the Ricoh GR, which is smaller than the S70 and better than many current DSLR's for quality.

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Around the same time, the Casio Z750 was my pocket camera. 7,2mp, 38mm f2/8 zoom lens, and fully manual controls. I once said to my photography mentor that if Canon (because I loved Canon colour) came out with a black pocket camera with a 28mm f2 lens, excellent video and better image quality than the Fuji F30, that would be my new pocket cam. Canon must have been reading my emails, because a few years later, they released the S90, which fits those criteria. But now I hardly use it because I have cameras with much better image quality and features now.

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My desire for new cameras is slowing down, though. For me, the cameras of 2010 and onwards reached a point where they were mostly 'good enough'. The Fuji X100 and Ricoh GXR are still in my bag on a regular basis, even though I'm using the GR and Pana LX7. I think it will be another few generations before Fuji have a camera that trounces the X100. So I'm happy with my big cameras, and occasionally picking up a compact here and there.
 
I echo the thoughts that you don't always need to be buying new.

In the beggining days of digital, there were huge advances every year. We are seeing the same thing with the compact cameras. The past few years have seen amazing strides. However I see this as plateauing quite rapidly and again the choices being feature based.
 
I find my desire for a new camera slows down when I have no buying power, but speeds up again when I do, and when discussion about various cameras here is quite lively. right now I have to hold off because I think I want to wait and see what the next iPhone brings. if it has a larger screen I will buy, otherwise I'll stay with my 4S and *maybe* buy a new camera. Or perhaps just put the money toward a split system a/c which would actually be the most sensible thing to do. My current cameras work really well, there is no need for a new one, but need rarely has much to do with camera purchases, in my case.

So yes, camera happiness is most definitely a moving target here.
 
I find my desire for a new camera slows down when I have no buying power, but speeds up again when I do, and when discussion about various cameras here is quite lively.

Oh me too!! I now have no money and the GAS has stopped!! I am now looking forward to the decent weather and more time to shoot!
 
I find my desire for a new camera slows down when I have no buying power, but speeds up again when I do,

So yes, lens happiness is most definitely a moving target here.

Mine is more to do with buying new lenses, tripods and tripod heads, gimbals, etc.,

Just got a Nikon 300mm f2.8 VR and a Nikon x 2 TC lll

but I suppose I'll then want a Nikon 600mm

But I would love a Nikon D4, a good used one, if I could get one at the right price!! ……. maybe for my wife's next birthday!
 
Everything in life is a moving target, including "happiness" of all kinds. In my life, camera happiness has been among the most consistently hittable of moving targets. I've been happy with almost every camera I've owned since my first Canon half frame film camera that I got as a hand me down when I was about 8 or 9. There have been one or two cameras that I didn't particularly bond with along the way (the EPL1, GH2, and RX100 come to mind in the digital era) but that wasn't because of any technical limitations - just personal ergonomics/interface stuff. But basically I've liked every camera I've owned even more than the one before and that's a pretty happy result if you ask me. I don't buy a new camera because I'm UN-happy with what I've got, but for the potential that I may be MORE happy with the next one. So far, the level of innovation is such that I've been right almost every time. And, yeah, I think it's plateauing enough at the moment that I'll likely slow down, but maybe not. New features that I think will be useful will at least be worth a look... But sensor tech and speed/performance is getting so good that it can only improve incrementally in coming generations.

-Ray
 
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